Vande Velde wins USA Pro Challenge

Christian Vande Velde, of team Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda, races toward the finish in the final stage of the USA Pro Challenge cycling race in Denver, Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012. Vande Velde took second in the time trial to win the overall race. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)

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DENVER - Christian Vande Velde won the overall title in the USA Pro Challenge, finishing second Sunday behind Taylor Phinney in the closing time trial.

Vande Velde, the 36-year-old Garmin-Sharp rider from Lemont, Ill., won the seven-stage race a year after finishing second to Levi Leipheimer. Tejay van Garderen of BMC and Bozeman, Mont., was second overall - 21 seconds back - after finishing third in the time trial.

"I've finished as the bridesmaid so many times, I wasn't going to let one slip away this time," said Vande Velde, whose last race victory was the 2008 Tour of Missouri.

Leipheimer, the Omega Pharma-Quickstep rider based in Santa Rosa, Calif., was ninth in the final stage and third overall - 24 seconds behind.

Phinney, the BMC rider from Boulder, Colo., who finished fourth in the time trial in the London Olympics, beat Vande Velde by 13 seconds, finishing the 9.5-mile downtown course in 17 minutes, 25 seconds and at average speed of 32.7 mph.

"I had a tough week early," said Phinney, who endured a crash and began the final stage in 71st position among the finishing field of 96. "I almost pulled the pulled the plug."

After posting his early best time, Phinney waited about two hours before his stage win time was confirmed.

Vande Velde and van Garderen had the same overall time for most of the event and exchanged race leads by tiebreakers.